SB Exclusive: Kristi Yamaguchi On Her Rhinestone-Free Activewear Line

Figure skaters are known for their costumes, and Kristi Yamaguchi is tapping into her years on the ice to create an activewear line for the woman who wants to look good.

While there won’t be any rhinestones or excessive glitter, the Olympic gold medal winner is definitely keeping other elements of her costumes that made her the best in the world.

“I think having had that experience on having to perform at the top level in something that moves and is comfortable but also is very feminine, all those characteristics were brought in,” Yamaguchi told StyleBlazer. “We might not have rhinestones or anything, but I really tried to keep Tsu-ya as feminine and functional as possible.”

Named after her grandmother, and her own middle name, Tsu.ya is an activewear line created for the woman who is on the go, and wants to look fashion-forward whether she is grabbing a cup of coffee, taking the kids to soccer practice or out on the town.

Photo: Carrie Devorah / WENN

In a collection that features pieces such as tennis skirts, tank tops with fun open backs and jackets with mesh detailing and ruching, Yamaguchi has tapped into the growing athleisure market with a line that brings you gym clothes you can wear all day long.

Yamaguchi also looked to her daughters for inspiration for the collection, and the best part is a portion of proceeds from the line goes to support early childhood literacy through her Always Dream Foundation.

The Tsu-ya activewear line is now available at HSN, and at boutiques nationwide.

For more on her collection, read our exclusive interview below:

On her inspiration to design an activewear line: ““I was seeing a void in my wardrobe, and being a busy, active mom, I wanted clothes that are functional and have a comfort level, and fit well without spending a fortune on it. You know activewear is something I’ve worn my whole life, so I bring my experience and being an athlete to the line.”

On the inspiration behind the name: “Tsu-ya is a family name. It was my grandmother’s name and it is my middle name so I was kind of named after her. The literal translation in Japanese is ‘shiny’ or ‘sparkle’ and we like to say Tsu. ya helps women find a spark of brilliance to make them shine in all they do.”

On her Always Dream Foundation: “I created the Always Dream Foundation almost 20 years ago now, so it’s always been a passion of mine to inspire the hopes and dreams of underserved kids out there. We wanted to create a product with purpose to grow what we’ve been doing with child literacy. Seeing some of the statistics out there like 60% of families in poverty do not have books at home are things we are trying to change. We’re really proud that we support early childhood literacy by donating a portion of our proceeds.”

On the booming athleisure trend: “I think it’s just people are more conscious of being active, and taking care of themselves. Women are smart and savvy enough that they want to look good all day long, whether their being active or out on the town. What we’ve tried to do is really create versatile styles that can take you throughout the day and are fashion forward.”

On her go-to summer outfit: “What I’ve been enjoying are the skirts. They’re really easy and comfortable to throw on, and I like to wear it with our hoodie tank. It’s just a mesh, flowing top. Paired together it’s one of my go-to summer outfits.”

On her go-to beauty products: “Maybe I’ve just been lucky (laughs). My EOS lip balm, I always have to have that with me. I’ll use the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, and I like that it also has SPF.”